News and Events in the 5th Grade 
April 11, 2011 
www.op97.org 


Important Dates 

Apr 11-12 Spelling Bee Preliminary Round 
Apr 12 Social Studies Research Sheet Due 
Apr 15 Civil War Test 
Apr 15 Digestive System Quiz 
Apr 19 Social Studies Poster Due/Presentations Begin 
Apr 21 Institute Day - No School 
Apr 22 No School 
Apr 26 Spelling Bee Final Round 
Apr 27 Final Novel Project Due 



Dear Families, 

Student Council is sponsoring a spring food drive during the month of April. There will be 
collection boxes in each classroom. Your donations will help stock the Oak Park and River 
Forest Food Pantry. In addition to non-perishable food items, the Food Pantry will also accept 
monetary donations. Working with their hunger relief partners, the Food Pantry can purchase 
food at a dramatic discount. A typical food allotment costs $63 at a retail grocery store, while 
the Pantry can purchase the same items at a cost of only $5.41. We hope that you will give 
generously to this worthy local cause. 


SPECIALS 
Spanish 
Students will be starting to learn a new song for the completion ceremony with lyrics in both 
English and Spanish! You can hear the song on the Spanish blog. 
http://mpoleski.blogspot.com/p/quintofifth.html 

Reading/Literature 
For our novel study this week Under the Blood Red Sun 
classes will be focusing on visualizing and making 
connections and The Breadwinner classes will be focusing 
on the identifying different types of conflict in the novel. We 
will continue to learn additional Greek and Latin roots. Final 
Novel Projects are due Friday, April 27th. 
Math 
Fraction multiplication and division quizzes will be returned 
tomorrow. Today we began a new unit on algebra. This week we will focus on using a pan 
balance to model algebraic equations. At the end of the month, students will begin working on 
a project in which they decide how to spend one million dollars. We will need to determine the 
costs of items, so please save your Sunday paper ads (cars, electronics, real estate, vacation 
trips, clothing) and have your child bring them in to school. 
Reading/Literature 
For our novel study this week Under the Blood Red Sun 
classes will be focusing on visualizing and making 
connections and The Breadwinner classes will be focusing 
on the identifying different types of conflict in the novel. We 
will continue to learn additional Greek and Latin roots. Final 
Novel Projects are due Friday, April 27th. 
Math 
Fraction multiplication and division quizzes will be returned 
tomorrow. Today we began a new unit on algebra. This week we will focus on using a pan 
balance to model algebraic equations. At the end of the month, students will begin working on 
a project in which they decide how to spend one million dollars. We will need to determine the 
costs of items, so please save your Sunday paper ads (cars, electronics, real estate, vacation 
trips, clothing) and have your child bring them in to school. 
Science 

The nervous and circulatory system quiz was returned today. If students got a 2, they may 
make corrections on the back of the quiz and return it by Monday, April 18th at the latest. We 
will continue to learn about the digestive system this week and we will be focusing on nutrition. 
There will be a quiz on the digestive system on Friday, April 15th. 

Social Studies 
Just a reminder, the Civil War research sheet is due this Tuesday, April 12. I will assign the 
poster on Tuesday and it will be due Tuesday, April 19. Students will present their final 
product to the class beginning April 19. A test on the Civil War unit will be given this Friday, 
April 15. Students received a study guide in class last Friday. 

Visit the Holmes Digital Backpack 
http://www.op97.org/holmes/digitalbackpack/ 

Were on the Web! 

Visit us at: 

http://holmes5thgrade.wikispaces.com/ 

Ms. Kraft Ms. Yigzaw Ms. Manuel Ms. Peterson 
fkraft@op97.org syigzaw@op97.org mmanuel@op97.org apeterson@op97.org 


